Laura Ricciotti

Preparation and Characterization of New Geopolymer-Epoxy Resin Hybrid Mortars

The preparation and characterization of metakaolin-based geopolymer mortars containing an organic epoxy resin are presented here for the first time. The specimens have been prepared by means of an innovative in situ co-reticulation process, in mild conditions, of commercial epoxy based organic resins and geopolymeric slurry. In this way, geopolymer based hybrid mortars characterized by a different content of normalized sand (up to 66% in weight) and by a homogeneous dispersion of the organic resin have been obtained. Once hardened, these new materials show improved compressive strength and toughness in respect to both the neat geopolymer and the hybrid pastes since the organic polymer provides a more cohesive microstructure, with a reduced amount of microcracks. The microstructural characterization allows to point out the presence of an Interfacial Transition Zone similar to that observed in cement based mortars and concretes. A correlation between microstructural features and mechanical properties has been studied too.

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Epoxy Geopolymer Hybrid Composites

The preparation and the characterization of novel geopolymer-based hybrid composites are reported. These materials have been prepared through an innovative synthetic approach, based on a co-reticulation in mild conditions of commercial epoxy based organic resins and a metakaolin-based geopolymer inorganic matrix. This synthetic strategy allows the obtainment of a homogeneous dispersion of the organic particles in the inorganic matrix, up to 25% in weight of the resin. The materials obtained present significantly enhanced compressive strengths and toughness with respect to the neat geopolymer, suggesting their wide utilization for structural applications. A preliminary characterization of the porous materials obtained by removing the organic phase from the hybrid composites by means of heat treatments is also reported. Possible applications of these materials in the field of water purification, filtration, or as lightweight insulating materials are envisaged.

Synthesis and Characterizations of Melamine-Based Epoxy Resins

A new, easy and cost-effective synthetic procedure for the preparation of thermosetting melamine-based epoxy resins is reported. By this innovative synthetic method, different kinds of resins can be obtained just by mixing the reagents in the presence of a catalyst without solvent and with mild curing conditions. Two types of resins were synthesized using melamine and a glycidyl derivative (resins I) or by adding a silane derivative (resin II). The resins were characterized by means of chemical-physical and thermal techniques. Experimental results show that all the prepared resins have a good thermal stability, but differ for their mechanical properties: resin I exhibits remarkable stiffness with a storage modulus value up to 830 MPa at room temperature, while lower storage moduli were found for resin II, indicating that the presence of silane groups could enhance the flexibility of these materials. The resins show a pot life higher than 30 min, which makes these resins good candidates for practical applications. The functionalization with silane terminations can be exploited in the formulation of hybrid organic-inorganic composite materials.

TiO2-Based Photocatalytic Geopolymers for Nitric Oxide Degradation

This study presents an experimental overview for the development of photocatalytic materials based on geopolymer binders as catalyst support matrices. Particularly, geopolymer matrices obtained from different solid precursors (fly ash and metakaolin), composite systems (siloxane-hybrid, foamed hybrid), and curing temperatures (room temperature and 60 °C) were investigated for the same photocatalyst content (i.e., 3% TiO2 by weight of paste). The geopolymer matrices were previously designed for different applications, ranging from insulating (foam) to structural materials. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated as NO degradation in air, and the results were compared with an ordinary Portland cement reference. The studied matrices demonstrated highly variable photocatalytic performance depending on both matrix constituents and the curing temperature, with promising activity revealed by the geopolymers based on fly ash and metakaolin. Furthermore, microstructural features and titania dispersion in the matrices were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analyses. Particularly, EDS analyses of sample sections indicated segregation effects of titania in the surface layer, with consequent enhancement or depletion of the catalyst concentration in the active sample region, suggesting non-negligible transport phenomena during the curing process. The described results demonstrated that geopolymer binders can be interesting catalyst support matrices for the development of photocatalytic materials and indicated a large potential for the exploitation of their peculiar features.

Innovative Fly Ash Geopolymer-Epoxy Composites: Preparation, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

The preparation and characterization of composite materials based on geopolymers obtained from fly ash and epoxy resins are reported for the first time. These materials have been prepared through a synthetic method based on the concurrent reticulation of the organic and inorganic components that allows the formation of hydrogen bonding between the phases, ensuring a very high compatibility between them. These new composites show significantly improved mechanical properties if compared to neat geopolymers with the same composition and comparable performances in respect to analogous geopolymer-based composites obtained starting from more expensive raw material such as metakaolin. The positive combination of an easy synthetic approach with the use of industrial by-products has allowed producing novel low cost aluminosilicate binders that, thanks to their thixotropicity and good adhesion against materials commonly used in building constructions, could be used within the field of sustainable building.

Induced cholesteric solutions of highly soluble bis-salicylaldiminate Cu(II) metallomesogens and their rheological behaviour

Copper(II) complexes containing chiral centres and functionalised with citronellyl end groups were synthesised. Isomerisation of citronellyl double bond was exploited to decrease the melting temperature of the complexes and improve their solubility in organic media. The chiral metallomesogens were successfully used to produce induced cholesteric solutions in commercial nematic liquid crystals also in high concentrations. Transparent and coloured thin films were easily obtained showing good reflective properties across the visible spectrum. The rheological behaviour of the nematic and the cholesteric phases was investigated. The nematic system showed the characteristics of a tumbling phase with a very peculiar transient behaviour. The cholesteric samples also showed a very unusual, flow-history-dependent transient behaviour. The viscosity trend presumably indicates a flow-induced orientation of the cholesteric superstructure, thus opening the way to the possibility of tuning the yield stress level of the material. The results support the potentiality of these compounds for applications in light reflecting technology.